


Courting Fools

by RedheadedSuperhero



Category: Supernatural
Genre: ABO, Alpha Dean Winchester, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Courtship, Cute Castiel/Dean Winchester, F/M, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Leader Dean Winchester, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Omega Castiel (Supernatural), Protective Dean Winchester, Talk about mpreg, Wolves, talk about possible infertility
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:08:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedheadedSuperhero/pseuds/RedheadedSuperhero
Summary: After they got kicked out of their old pack, Castiel and his brothers find shelter with the Winchesters. Castiel likes living with those friendly wolves – and he especially likes their leader. But, surely, Dean Winchester, pack alpha and handsome bachelor, would never return the feelings of an older, widowed omega. So Castiel tries his best to hide his infatuation from everyone. (Spoiler: He is not very good at it.)Then his brothers stage some sort of impromptu intervention – and Castiel re-evaluates his interactions with Dean.Maybe the alpha is not quite as indifferent as Castiel thought. (Of course he isn’t.)
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 42
Kudos: 375





	Courting Fools

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, lovelies! This is just a short fluff-piece. I needed some happiness in my life right now, as I am sure we all do. So there is no drama, no death, just two idiots in love and somewhat helpful family members. Even Michael is a good guy in this! :-)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Btw: If some of you’re waiting for an update on Feathers And Claws – I have not forgotten about that story and I still plan to finish it. But life is demanding at the moment and I hardly find the time to write. And right now, I needed a silly oneshot – no chapters, no pressure.)

Courting Fools

Castiel sighed.

Sometimes he felt like everyone else was following a certain set of rules while he did not even know which game he was supposed to play. And it was not just because he was new to this pack. Yes, he had arrived only six months ago, along with two of his brothers, but he thought he fit in quite well with the Winchesters. Actually, he felt more at home here than he had in the pack he grew up in. But as he watched Dean turn around with dropped ears, he wished he knew what to do. He had not intended to offend the alpha again, but, somehow, it seemed like he had ruined his blooming friendship with Dean.

Maybe it was because of Castiel’s constant staring. Probably. It had to confuse the pack alpha that the newest omega in their midst kept looking at him. Especially because Castiel was about ten years older, _and_ a stranger, with no useful connections.

Certainly not mate-material for an Alpha with a capital A.

Castiel rolled in on himself and watched the playing pups in the meadow, concentrating on them instead of a certain alpha. Trying not to be creepy.

But somehow, it was hard not to look at Dean. For one, the alpha was handsome, both in his human form and his animal shape with the brindle fur that seemed to include all possible colours. But it was more than that. Anything Dean did just endeared him to Castiel. Dean was caring and protective. Funny. And kind, despite his gruff behaviour at times. Unfortunately, whenever they interacted with each other, things turned awkward.

Like two minutes ago.

Dean always seemed to notice when Castiel looked at him – which resulted in the alpha looking right back. Then Castiel felt caught, and dropped his gaze to the ground immediately, hardly ever meeting the alpha’s eyes. He did not want to get laughed at by anyone for acting like a lovesick teenager. Especially not by Dean. The alpha never said anything, but sometimes Castiel thought he looked --- _unhappy_. Castiel probably made him uncomfortable with his staring.

Things had been especially awkward since that family dinner last week.

Castiel sighed again, wallowing in self-pity. Very much like a lovesick teenager.

“Whatcha doing, little brother?”

Castiel startled. He had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he had not noticed Gabriel sneaking up on him. The dark brown wolf sat down next to Castiel’s black form.

“I’d guess, he’s not-so-secretly checking out our fearless leader again.” Charlie, all white fur, playfully nudged Castiel’s head before she settled on his other side. Besides Sam, Castiel considered her the best friend he had made in this new pack. Unfortunately, she enjoyed teasing him a lot more than the Alpha’s even-tempered brother.

But as much as Charlie usually liked to make good-humoured fun of him, until now, she had never once commented on his obsession with Dean. Which meant Castiel had hoped that she, as much as everyone else, had not even noticed it. So much for being inconspicuous.

Gabriel cackled out a laugh. “Yeah, I think I saw his eyes turn into the shape of hearts just seconds ago.”

Castiel ducked his head in embarrassment. If he had been in his human form, he was sure his face would have adopted the shade of a tomato. He clearly had underestimated how obvious his pining was. He almost felt sick, imagining that everyone knew. That _Dean_ knew. He drew in on himself even more in shame.

“Oh, relax, Cassie. Our Alpha doesn’t know.” Castiel narrowed his eyes at Gabriel. Had his brother learned to read minds? But Gabriel just waggled his eyebrows. “Which is actually why we’re here. To end this torture, for all of us.”

Castiel cocked his head to the side, confused. Was Gabriel here to tell him that he should wake up and get in touch with reality, because the alpha of Pack Winchester would never want an omega who is much older and has no noteworthy qualities to bring to any relationship? Like an intervention. Castiel had read that some people did this kind of thing. But Gabriel seemed in such a good mood. True, the short beta liked to prank people, and he sometimes had difficulties to realise when he crossed a line – but he was never intentionally cruel. He would not grin like that if he intended to break Castiel’s heart.

“Your brother’s right. That mutual pining used to be funny, but now it’s like Ron and Hermione in book six. You know? Why don’t they just get together, finally? It’s not fun anymore.”

“Yeah, Cassie, you wouldn’t want some Lavender to intervene and steal your man.”

Castiel frowned. He had no idea what they were trying to tell him. And just as important: When had Gabriel read _Harry Potter_?

“Hey, I read.” Gabriel shrugged. Again, he made Castiel believe he had looked inside his mind. And Gabriel seemed very smug about it.

Charlie huffed out a chuckle. “What we’re trying to say, Castiel… we don’t want to watch you be miserable anymore, pining after Dean.”

Castiel knew it was a weak attempt, but he tried it anyway: “I don’t…” He stopped and cleared his throat because his voice had sounded deceivingly high. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, really?” Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “So you don’t mind Dean’s talking to Lisa right now and they’re standing awfully close?”

Before he could think, Castiel’s head whipped around, seeking out Dean again. He hardly heard Gabriel snorting out a laugh, or Charlie’s soft chuckle. Castiel’s eyes found the alpha quickly enough. But he was not talking to Lisa. Instead, he was standing next to his sister-in-law while one of her pups was butting her head against his chest, urging him to play with her. Another one was trying a different approach by chewing on the pack alpha’s ear. The sight warmed Castiel’s heart. A moment later, Dean finally gave in, jumped up and trapped the pups with his paws to his chest, licking over their heads. The pups made some disgusted noises that were interrupted by their own giggles while Eileen smiled warmly at them.

And Castiel felt a similar expression spread on his face. Luckily, no one was paying him any attention.

Alas, he had forgotten the company he was in.

“Aw, like I said, heart-shaped eyes.”

If Castiel had not been so embarrassed, he might have considered strangling Gabriel.

“And all those mating pheromones in the air…”

He might also punch Charlie.

Castiel settled on giving both of them a death glare, but, unfortunately, they only laughed louder.

“What’s going on here?”

Castiel looked up and directly at his other brother, Michael. His sudden appearance should not have surprised Castiel – his older brother could smell it from afar when people had fun, and he would always readily step in to sober them up with his air of self-importance and severity. He was not a bad man, and he had been a decent pack leader before, but Michael never let loose and even a smile from him was a rare occurrence. He was probably concerned that people would not take him seriously if he showed the least bit of emotion. In a way, he and Gabriel were complete opposites. Usually, Castiel preferred the company of the latter, but at least he could be sure Michael would not make fun of him – and he would certainly not have noticed Castiel’s _heart-shaped eyes_. Most importantly: Michael was the only person who could keep Gabriel in check. Not that the beta did not wholeheartedly enjoy annoying his older brother – more than anybody else, actually – but Gabriel usually waited for the right time to try and wind him up. To him it was a game – coaxing Michael out of his shell. Whether the tall alpha smiled or yelled at him in the end, Gabriel considered both a win. But Castiel was convinced he would not use Castiel’s infatuation to get to Michael. That would just be mean.

So Castiel visibly twitched in surprise when Gabriel replied: “Oh, we’re just trying to convince Cassie here to finally make a move on Dean-o.”

Castiel’s eyes widened in horror and he shot a pleading glance in Gabriel’s direction. The small wolf had read his mind before, so Castiel very much concentrated on: _Please, please, please, don’t tell Michael about this._

But apparently Gabriel did not need to tell their brother anything.

Michael rolled his eyes in a considerably untypical fashion, and sat down, holding his right front paw up a little in an awkward pose – it had never healed completely after his fight with Lucifer.

“Yes, please, Castiel. Go and tell our Alpha that you are in favour of his courtship. It is not becoming of a brother of mine to act like a … tease.”

Michael’s expression was completely neutral, like always, but Castiel could have sworn there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Gabriel rolled over in a fit of laughter while Charlie just smiled.

Castiel could do nothing else but gape at his brother. His mind had trouble interpreting Michael’s words. For one, the stoic alpha should have been about the last person who would notice Castiel’s infatuation – probably because it always seemed like he thought feelings were a waste of time, and thus, he had problems recognising them in others. And then there was that other thing:

“Courtship?” He breathed the word more than said it.

“Obviously. And you seem very infatuated with him, so --- you should tell him.”

Castiel was confused for a moment, but suddenly he realised where this must all be coming from.

“Wait --- you want me to seek after a relationship with Dean, because you think it will gain you influence over the pack…”

Michael sighed. He even had the nerve to look disappointed.

“No, Castiel, that is not what this is about. I have made peace with my new position and, honestly, I do not envy Dean his responsibilities. But you clearly have feelings for our Alpha and he clearly has feelings for you. Which means you should at least try courting, which then might result in a mating. I just want you to be happy.”

Castiel narrowed his eyes at Michael, so did Charlie. She had only known the alpha a couple of months, but that had seemingly been a long enough time for her to realise this was at least very out of character for Michael. It was not like he had ever wanted anything _bad_ to happen to Castiel, but with the omega’s first mating, he had not exactly been interested whether Castiel was infatuated with his intended or not. On the other hand, Michael _had_ changed since they arrived in the Winchester Pack, and not for the worse.

Gabriel had gone completely still, like a predator watching his future prey. “When did you get so lovey-dovey, Mike?” he finally asked.

Michael straightened and looked overall offended. But his black-and-white ears flattened, a sure sign that he felt insecure about something. “I do not know what you mean. I have always wanted the best for my family. Besides,” he continued before either Gabriel or Castiel could interrupt him again, “I thought you would support me, Gabriel, considering you, too, tried to tell Castiel to _finally make a move_.” At the last words, Michael looked positively disgusted – finally, a familiar expression on his face.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said slowly and turned back to Castiel; he must have concluded that it was easier to fight one battle at a time. But Michael would not be off the hook completely – Gabriel could be relentless when something piqued his interest. And Michael was behaving in a strange way. “Why don’t you end all our suffering and finally tell Dean that you accept his courtship? So the poor fella doesn’t walk around like a sad puppy anymore.”

“Courtship?” Castiel said again, like this was the only thing he could focus on.

“I agree with Gabriel. It is not good for pack morale if the leader is too occupied with personal matters. You should clear this up once and for all, so Dean can focus on his responsibilities.” Now, that sounded more like Michael. But he had to ruin it again by adding: “And by that I mean you can also reject him, of course. But you should make a decision either way. Though I would be surprised if you did not accept his courting. The way you have been steeling glances like a lovesick puppy… Really, Castiel, you are a grown man, you have been mated before – this adolescent behaviour does not suit you.”

Three pairs of eyes stared at Michael, who looked rather pleased with himself.

Charlie was the first to awake from the trance. She nudged Castiel’s shoulder and licked over his ear. “Michael’s right, Cas. You should talk to Dean.”

Castiel blinked. Maybe they were right, and he should man up to his feelings. Although, there was one major problem, one that no one else seemed to notice.

“But Dean, he … he had never said anything about cou--- he has never indicated he might be… interested.”

Michael raised an eyebrow and looked at Castiel like he doubted his sanity. But Gabriel and Charlie just smiled.

“We feared you might see it that way---” Charlie began.

“Which is why we came here to intervene.” Gabriel continued. “Look, Cas, I know he has not spelled it out for you, with actual words I mean, but Dean has made it pretty obvious that he is interested in you.”

“He has?”

“Oh, don’t be daft, Castiel.” Michael seemed to have lost his patience with this conversation. “The doe, the hunting – or the way he basically patrolled our cabin during your heat--- and then dinner last week.”

“Yes, yes, thank you for making us a list, Michael,” Gabriel interrupted.

Castiel blinked a few times, and something at the back of his mind started to work. There was a flutter in his stomach as he tried to make sense of Michael’s words. Castiel came from a pack where omegas were not usually courted; their mating would be negotiated by their alphas. In Castiel’s case that would be Michael, as oldest and closest relative. Not that Castiel had expected to ever mate again – he was almost forty now; he had already been mated. And he had no pups to show for it, which meant that many alphas would assume he was blemished. Either for having been with another man before, or for supposedly being barren. Castiel was not sure if the latter was true. Balthazar, an alpha Michael had chosen for him and who had treated Castiel with respect even though there had never been any deeper feelings on either side, and he had only been mated for well over a year before the alpha had died during a reckless hunt. Afterwards, Castiel had moved back in with his brother, certain that he would never be mated again. Part of him had been grateful, part of him had been sad that he would spend the rest of his life alone.

But now his brothers told him that he had another chance at happiness.

It could not be true.

He had only a few years of heats ahead of him – surely, the alpha leader of a pack would not choose him.

“I don’t think…. Clearly, you must have misunderstood something.”

“Oh, Cas. Just think about it for a minute. Let’s just assume, for a moment, that all of us are right and Dean feels something for you. Now, from that point of view, think back on those past six months.”

Castiel frowned, but he tried to do what Charlie asked. He stared to the ground, not really seeing the bumble bee humming happily around a bell flower while Castiel was lost in memories.

>>><<<

_Six Months Ago_

They arrived at the territory of the Winchester Pack in a desperate condition – Michael, Gabriel and Castiel. All three of them malnourished and sickly. Michael was still occasionally bleeding from the wounds he had gotten during his fight against their oldest brother.

Lucifer had left the Hallow Pack many years ago, seeking freedom and adventure. So Michael had become the pack leader, after he had prevailed against all opponents in one-on-one combat. He was a strict Alpha, but everyone had been safe and the pack worked well together. More than ten years later, though, Lucifer had suddenly returned and decided he would be the better leader. He had challenged Michael, and the stoic wolf tried to fight off his own brother like he had fought many challengers before him.

But this time, Michael lost.

Pack law dictated that the winner had to spare the life of his opponent if he or she admitted defeat. Michael, bloody and fallen, bowed his head in submission – but Lucifer just snapped at his throat. So Gabriel stepped in, saving his brother’s life. Castiel did not know who had been more surprised by that – Michael, or Gabriel himself. Usually the mouthy beta tried to stay away from any serious risk.

Michael had no other option but to flee, and Gabriel went with him. After the way he had defied his oldest brother by sparing Michael’s life, there would have been no place for him in the new Hallow Pack.

And Castiel followed them. He did not need to think about it. For one, Gabriel was easily the closest friend he had, and Michael had always treated him with respect, even though he could be condescending. On the other hand, Castiel had watched Lucifer long enough to realise that his oldest brother was cruel and despotic. Castiel feared what position he would offer his widowed, pupless omega brother. Using unmated and barren omegas for sexual relief, especially during their heats, was not unheard of, and Castiel could not rule out that Lucifer would offer him to some of his loyal followers.

But even if his fate would not have been quite as dire, Castiel doubted he could ever be content in Lucifer’s pack. Much less happy.

But fleeing had not exactly been an uplifting experience either.

Michael was hurt, so he moved slowly and needed to rest after only short distances. He was also abrasive and snappish; Castiel assumed the way he had been chased out of his own pack had been an even deeper cut than the physical wounds. Say of Michael what you will, but he had always tried to keep his pack members safe and well fed – it must have been painful to be growled and snapped at by the same wolves he had been trying to protect for so many years. Just because some stupid ancient law stated that the winner of a challenge would get to lead the whole pack. But it seemed to be only Castiel who thought this approach was stupid – even after everything that had happened, Michael would still rave about the sanctity of their ancestors’ decisions.

With Michael hardly able to walk, it became Gabriel’s task to hunt for them. Castiel offered to help, but he had never tried to catch a rabbit before, so he acted like a klutz more often than not. Gabriel repeatedly snapped at him, losing his temper more readily than usual. The fear that some of Lucifer’s pack followed them just added to the tension, and the three brothers sometimes hardly spoke with each other for days.

They had been on the move for six weeks when Castiel smelled another pack. They rested for a few days in their proximity but not close enough to trespass into their territory. Castiel, who could move as silent as a ghost, had circled around the camp a few times, trying to get an idea of how big it was, how much of a threat.

In the end, he came to the conclusion that this pack might be more of a salvation.

“I think we should ask for shelter. Maybe they are willing to take us in,” he finally told his brothers.

Both looked at him for a long moment, and Castiel realised that they had been thinking the same thing. But they were just as wary. Joining a new pack could be the answer to their prayers, or it could make their situation worse.

They had no other choice, though. Each of them knew that they could not stay on their own. Castiel had heard about lone wolves and small families out there, but he did not know how they managed to survive. Neither he nor his brothers knew how to fend for themselves.

They needed the safety of a pack.

So, after they had tiptoed around the place for almost a week, Michael, Gabriel and Castiel finally found the nerve – or the desperation – to walk into the Winchester Pack’s camp.

It was bigger than Castiel had expected – he had never dared to come too close – with many colourful huts and small timber houses. The thing that surprised Castiel the most was that about half of the shifters were in human form, the other half in wolfskin. Within the Hollow Pack, people usually stayed in their human form, unless a task called for a Shift, like hunting or scouting.

As Castiel and his brothers staggered towards the camp, not many people payed them much attention. The children kept playing and yelling, some adults were busy in vegetable patches, others just seemed to stand in small groups and chattered.

But there were some who very much noticed the three wolves, who arrived on shaky feet. They seemed to be guards, stationed around the camp. But it were not those men and women who talked first. They seemed to wait for something when Castiel and his brothers stopped in front of them.

“Oh, so you finally made up your mind and decided to show yourselves. Pretty rude to hide in the woods for almost a week. Makes an Alpha think you plan something devious, you know.” Those were the first words Castiel heard from Dean Winchester, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Of course, at the time, Castiel did not notice the alpha’s beautiful eyes or the perfect face, nor his broad shoulders and well-defined arms. He was too nervous. This could go either way. In Michael’s pack, hapless strangers would have been offered sanctuary. In Lucifer’s – not so much. Their oldest brother might have either tried to gain some use out of them – or killed them on sight if he figured they were not worth the trouble.

Needless to say, Dean did not kill them. After a few stern words and half-hearted threats – which were interrupted by his more cordial brother – he led the three brothers straight to Rowena, the pack healer. Afterwards, they were invited to a small cabin they could share, and someone brought them food and warm clothes. They could not have asked for more.

And in no time, all three wolves were back to their usual weight, and their wounds mostly healed.

When they were back on their feet, Dean did not throw them out like they had feared but asked them to stay. After a quick consultation with his brothers, Michael accepted the offer. By that time, they had already figured out that the Winchesters were a good pack, and the brothers could hardly hope for anything better.

As Castiel sat in the grass with Michael, Gabriel and Charlie and remembered those first few weeks, he could not claim that Dean had acted like he had wanted to court him. In fact, the alpha had hardly acknowledged his existence, rather talking to Gabriel or Michael. It had been Sam who befriended Castiel first – which had left the omega a little uncertain because he was not used to friendships with alphas. But Sam was already mated, and after a few hesitant days, Castiel was convinced that no one expected any submissive behaviour from omegas, and he had returned Sam’s amity. Soon after, he had also made friends with Eileen and Charlie. And Lisa.

As he thought back, Castiel had to admit that he had not been too focused on Dean in the beginning either.

But that changed on the day when Michael, Gabriel and Castiel were formally accepted as pack members. Like it was tradition in most packs, the initiation ceremony included a scent marking ritual, performed by the Alpha. The three new members lied down in their wolf form in the middle of a circle formed by the rest of the pack. Dean first rubbed his head over Michael’s, marking him as one of his own with his scent, then he moved on to Gabriel. Castiel still remembered clearly how Dean then turned to him and rubbed his scent over Castiel’s head and back with a reassuring rumble. He thought it odd that up until this point, he had never realised how good Dean smelled. But at that moment, Castiel felt like rolling over to grant Dean access to every part of him, so he would be thoroughly marked by his new Alpha. As it was, Castiel did not expose his belly, but, almost equally embarrassing, he did tip his head to the side, exposing his vulnerable throat to Dean. A second later he felt a cold nose at his neck, tickling him a little. He hoped he only imagined his responding purr.

But before Castiel could worry too much, Dean retreated suddenly and ended the official part of the welcoming ceremony rather abruptly.

That night, Castiel hardly slept, too busy thinking about Dean’s scent, and his eyes, and the way he so effortlessly led a whole pack of wolves.

His heart felt like it wanted to dance.

But that feeling did not last for long.

It was the very next day that Michael challenged Dean.

Castiel fumed with anger. They had just been accepted as pack members! The Winchesters had been so kind to them since the day they arrived – and his brother seemingly had planned to take over the pack as soon as he got the chance. Maybe he was more obsessed with power than Castiel had suspected. Maybe he missed his old position too damn much.

But as much as Castiel growled at his brother, Gabriel stayed quiet. It surprised the omega, because he would have thought his brother to be just as angry since he had seemed happier here than Castiel had seen him in a long time. And now Michael wanted to ruin everything.

It seemed unlikely that he would win against Dean – and then even Gabriel and Castiel would certainly have to leave.

But it did not come to that.

The fight only took a few minutes. Michael was still not completely healed – his right front paw would probably never be the same – and Dean took him out with only a few well-placed hits. But unlike Lucifer, he stopped as soon as Michael bowed his head.

“Idjit,” Bobby spat from the sideline. “What did he think would happen? That if he won, any of us would have followed him? That might work in some old-fashioned packs, but Dean is not our leader because he is handy in combat. We follow him, cause he makes sure no one goes hungry and we don’t rip each other into pieces.”

To both Gabriel’s and Castiel’s surprise, it was Dean who helped Michael to Rowena after the fight, so that the healer could patch him back up. Michael returned to his brothers late that night. Castiel was ready to chew him out, again, but Michael looked bashful and before either Castiel or Gabriel could say one word, he acknowledged: “I am sorry. It was a misunderstanding. Dean and I talked – things are all well between us.”

And to Castiel’s great confusion, it seemed true. Dean did not seem to harbour any bad feelings for Michael, quite the opposite, he tried to find him something useful to do. Michael ended up helping Rowena with the sick. Castiel was still baffled how well he had responded to collecting herbs and be taught about their healing powers. He used to be one of the strongest alphas in the Hallow Pack, and despite his leg, Castiel would have rather expected him on guard duty. But the alpha seemed happy to read and learn a new trade.

And every afternoon he met with Lisa, who was not a healer per se, but she knew about some exercises that helped Michael with his wounded back and legs.

Michael was not the only one Dean tried to find useful tasks for. Gabriel was soon admitted to the hunting party, as well as being scheduled for gardening duty four times a week. Which was not surprising – every pack member was assigned to help with either farming, teaching or construction work.

Castiel was one of the teachers and he enjoyed his time with the pups. With him being an omega, he thought this was about the only thing he was supposed to do. Although Dean sometimes asked him if he was happy with his work, and Castiel usually affirmed he was very content in this new pack. He also explained to Dean that he really would not know what else to do, as he had spent the last years housekeeping for Michael and reading books he could now narrate to the children.

Every time he said something like that, Dean frowned a bit. But Castiel did not dwell on it, he just enjoyed their friendly chat. Dean was a good Alpha for making sure all his pack members were content.

Occasionally, it was Castiel who sought out Dean. He did not want to be too obvious about it, though, so he only dared to come near him when Dean was with either Charlie or Sam, and Castiel could pretend it was _them_ he wanted to talk to. And soon Castiel had found a new favourite pastime: Whenever he saw Dean with one of his friends, Castiel decided to sneak up on the alpha. He knew he was quiet – Gabriel often threatened to put a bell around his neck – and he had to admit he enjoyed it immensely whenever he could make the pack leader twitch. He knew he should not feel so smug about it, but he was. It helped that though Dean often grumbled a little, he never seemed angry. Sometimes he even made a joke about Castiel’s stealthiness.

So maybe Castiel should not have been too surprised when one day Dean asked him to join them on a hunt.

“I’ve been thinking about what you would like to do, Cas. Have you ever considered hunting? I know you once said, you have no experience, but I’ve seen you chasing around with the kids. It looks like you enjoy a little exercise.” Castiel blushed – when had Dean watched him play with the kids? And close enough to tell when he enjoyed himself too. “You move completely silent, Cas. This could be useful. Let’s have you try sneak up on some rabbit first, nothing too dangerous.”

And so it happened that Castiel became one of the hunters. He usually stalked up to a small herd of deer and startled them at the right moment – so they would run into the direction where the other hunters already waited to take them down.

Castiel was immensely proud of himself. He enjoyed hunting, and he loved that he had another use for the pack than watching their children. And every time Dean barked out a “good work, mates” after a successful hunt, Castiel preened like a pup, tail wagging and chest puffed out.

But whenever Dean grinned at him, he looked away shyly.

Nearly five months after their arrival, Castiel went into heat.

By that time, he already felt comfortable in the pack; he had made friends and was confident about his tasks. But he could not help feeling nervous. He was an unmated omega, and in many packs an unmated omega in heat was fair game. On the other hand, he had no reason to doubt the Winchesters – everyone had been nothing but nice and respectful towards him.

Still, he was glad when his brothers promised that at least one of them would always stay at the cabin and keep guard until Castiel was feeling better. After a few days, Castiel relaxed – no one had come and expected him to perform any favours so far. Charlie had visited him regularly, bringing him food and cheering him up with funny stories. And even Lisa had stopped by occasionally, bringing clean sheets and clothes for Castiel and some strong-smelling herbs for Michael. But even though Castiel usually liked meeting with Lisa, seeing the pretty omega while he was in heat, was rather aggravating for him. It was not her fault of course. But Castiel’s crush on Dean had gained momentum during the last months – and a heat was not the time when one’s mind was overcome by logic. Castiel had constantly dreamed about the alpha, then felt guilty and embarrassed in his more coherent moments. The pack leader was a friend, and he would doubtlessly feel sickened if he knew about Castiel’s fantasies. No, the alpha would certainly rather be with an omega like Lisa.

From what Castiel had heard, those two _had_ been with each other in the past, courting even. And Castiel could not help feeling a green-eyed monster rise inside his chest, every time he saw Lisa during his heat. It was unfair of him. As far as he knew, there was nothing going on between her and Dean anymore. Which in itself was baffling. Lisa was beautiful, she was a strong-headed fierce mother, and so frustratingly _kind_ , which made it impossible to hate her. She had been one of the first welcoming Castiel with open arms, had even allowed him to look after her pup only a few days after he had arrived. A clear display of her trust. But lately, she had started to gush about Dean all the time. How great he was with pups. Or how he did not treat omegas differently. How it was time for him to settle down – and how he would take care for his family. Ugh. Looked like she had changed her mind about not wanting to court Dean.

“You should close your window, Castiel,” Lisa said as she placed fresh towels on a stool. “At least when you are alone. Most alphas in this pack can keep it together, but… some should not be tempted.”

Castiel nodded. But five hours later, after the sun had set and his room smelled gross even to him, and maybe just a little bit because of some irrational impulse to spite Lisa, he opened his window. Just for five minutes, he told himself. So he would not get sick from his own scent.

It was less than three minutes later, when he heard a growl, and then a hand gripped his window frame from the outside. But before Castiel could either yell for help or look for something to defend himself with, he heard a loud snarl, followed by a yelp. Castiel ran to the window, expecting to see either Gabriel or Michael. But outside was Dean in human form, punching one of the pack’s alphas, who Castiel had never even talked to before. Gordon, he thought his name was.

“Dean!” Castiel yelled. He would hate if the alpha got hurt because he had not been vigilant enough.

But Dean seemed to have everything under control. With Gordon in headlock, he turned his face up towards Castiel and said: “I got this, Cas. You stay inside and get better!”

Castiel closed the window quickly.

A moment later, there was a knock at his door. Castiel was slightly disappointed to hear his brother’s voice, instead of a certain alpha who had decided he needed to check in on Castiel personally after he had been threatened.

“Cassie, are you all right?”

Castiel nodded, then realised that Gabriel could not see him from the other side of the wooden door.

“Yes, I am fine, thank you,” Castiel yelled and then muttered to himself: “Other than that I am soaking in slick after getting only one glimpse at Dean.”

A few days later, his heat was finally over. When he left the small house for the first time again, Castiel felt a mixture of relief and embarrassment. In their old pack, alphas and betas often made lewd jokes and uncalled-for remarks about how he had spent the last ten days. But he soon found out that, here, most people hardly mentioned his heat at all – other than a few general comments like “good to see you back” or “hope you are well”. He hoped they did not act so politely just because he was accompanied by his brothers.

But when he met their pack leader for the first time, Castiel could not help but blush. Unfortunately, he was in his human form – so it showed.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean said, and then looked to the ground. “I hope you feel better… I mean I hope you’re good. Not that you’ve been _sick_. Just… good to see you back.” The alpha rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Castiel hesitantly looked up from his own ground-watching; he had never seen Dean so flustered before. Maybe he just felt uncomfortable talking to omegas after a heat. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know that Gordon is no longer a member of this pack. I am sorry he tried to get to you.”

“Oh,” Castiel replied. He tried to say something else, but he could not seem to think of any other word.

“So… you killed him?” Gabriel asked. He did not sound concerned, but Castiel’s eyes widened in horror. Yes, he had been scared of Gordon, but he would not want anyone to _die_ because of him. Especially since nothing had actually happened and Castiel had not even been _that_ worried, knowing that his brothers were in the house.

“No,” Dean replied. “Just chased him off. But I’m pretty sure he won’t come back. Can’t have alphas here who cannot keep it in their pants.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, since you are now out and about again, Cas, do you want to join us on tomorrow’s hunt?”

“Oh,” Castiel repeated, but this time, thankfully, he thought of something else, felling guilty for saying it: “Actually, I am still regaining my strength, Dean. I hardly ate the last week, and I would not want to put any of you in danger. You know, since I am not completely recovered.”

“Yes. Of course. Sorry. I should not have asked.” Dean turned to Gabriel. “What about you, then? You’ve been holed up for days as well.”

Gabriel glanced at Castiel. “Actually, if you guys can spare me, I wouldn’t mind sitting this one out as well. Make sure certain alphas don’t return while you are away from camp.”

“Right,” Dean murmured. “So, I will see you all after the hunt, then.” He turned around abruptly and walked away.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Michael muttered. At Castiel’s inquisitive look, he added: “Dean stayed on guard constantly since he threw Gordon out. He should probably get some sleep instead of going on a hunt at dawn.”

Castiel felt a warm flutter in his chest. Dean had guarded his house while he was in heat. Poor alpha. It must be exhausting to protect all the unmated omegas during their heats.

“… right, Cassie?”

“Huh?”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow and then put on that big smile that bode trouble for Castiel, but Michael interrupted him: “Leave him be, Gabriel. Our brother has some strenuous days behind him, and he needs time to recover.”

Usually, Castiel disliked Michael’s stance on heats – yes, he often was weakened afterwards, but Castiel always had an urge to run around rather than stay indoors – but right now, the omega would welcome any excuse to avoid Gabriel’s sharp tongue.

Still, he was happy when Lisa and Eileen came by with their total of four pups – and Castiel played with them, feeling a lot better after the exercise. To his surprise, the women had even persuaded Michael to join them – and as Ben chased after the alpha’s tail, both of them running in circles, Castiel heard his brother laugh for the first time since they had been kids.

Early morning the next day, there was a loud knock at the door. Michael opened, followed by a curious Gabriel and Castiel. People very seldomly knocked on anybody’s doors in this camp – doors were usually open, and people hardly ever indoors unless to sleep or deliberately have some privacy.

Castiel looked over Michael’s shoulder. He saw Dean and in front of him lay a slain doe. The alpha was in human shape, but his fingers and chin were slightly red, indicating that he had made the kill himself, in his animal form.

“Ahem… Cas. Hey. Good morning. You said you hardly ate anything the last couple of days, so I thought… well, I brought you something.” He looked at Gabriel and Michael. “And you, too, of course.”

There was an awkward pause, then Michael and Gabriel both looked at Castiel, who watched Dean with wide eyes.

“Thank you, Dean. That was very considerate of you.” He paused. “Maybe I could cook something with it.” Shifters often ate the meat raw after a hunt, unless there was a special occasion – but Castiel liked it better cooked with other ingredients. “You… ahem --- you could join us tonight. For dinner.”

Dean’s whole body language changed at that. From the moment the three men had opened the door, he had his head oddly bowed, not looking anyone in the eyes, but now a grin spread from his mouth all the way up to his shining eyes. “I’d love that, Cas.”

Castiel returned the grin, feeling tingly all over.

He had invited Dean to dinner – and the alpha had agreed.

Oh holy Varg, he had invited Dean over to dinner! What was he thinking? That was incredibly untoward. And his brothers were right there. Who would also be at dinner!

So, in his sudden shock, he added: “Maybe you should bring Sam, Eileen and the pups too. It is a pretty big doe. Enough to feed a big family.”

“Oh … okay. I will bring my brother,” Dean said slowly, like he was not too pleased at the prospect. But then he smiled again, in a way that made him look like a schoolboy who had just found some forbidden candy in his parents’ cupboard. “And then we will all eat together. Both our families at one table.”

“Yes, that sounds nice,” Castiel replied, even though he was a little disappointed. Somehow, he would have liked to prepare a meal for only Dean, the two of them eating alone. But that was out of the question. It was something mates did – or maybe an omega would suggest during courtship if they had entered a more serious stage. But Dean had not brought Castiel his prey to make any advances. The alpha felt bad because Castiel had told him he had hardly eaten in two weeks.

He was such a considerate pack leader.

When Dean left, both Michael and Gabriel turned to Castiel with equally baffled expressions.

“Dinner, Cassie, really? With Sam and Eileen and – oh wait – _three loud pups_?”

Castiel felt taken aback. He had always thought Gabriel liked Sam’s children.

“Oh, let him be, brother,” Michael said after he nodded at Gabriel to help him carry in the doe. “I think it is very proper to invite Dean’s whole family.”

Gabriel snorted, but said nothing more.

Dinner was --- interesting.

When it started, there was a certain tension in the air. Castiel at first thought it was because he was so nervous. But Dean was unusually quiet as well, making Castiel believe that he had only agreed to come because he did not want to be rude by declining the invitation. Michael acted more stiff than usual, making a little toast at the beginning about welcoming the Winchester family in his and Castiel’s home. Castiel thought it was odd that he left out Gabriel, who also lived here, but his brother did not seem to mind. In fact, Gabriel seemed to find absolutely everything hilarious that night. He kept chuckling for the strangest reasons the whole time.

Sam seemed unusually solemn – but he also smiled at the oddest times. He and Eileen often shared glances that Castiel could not even begin to decipher.

And then, unfortunately, there were the kids.

Castiel loved all three pups of Sam – but this night, it seemed like all three of them had agreed to act up. Petra, the oldest, kept insisting that she wanted to sit on Dean’s lap or at the very least share a chair with him. In the end, the alpha was squeezed in on a small bench between Petra and Eileen who had a toddler on her own lap. The beta had at first – very insistently – suggested that Castiel sat on Dean’s other side instead of her – but the omega needed to look after the food and a chair was easier to get up from. Any time Castiel did manage to sit down, Robert, the second oldest, asked him all kinds of weird questions that usually started with “why”. Alba, sitting on Eileen’s lap was currently teething, and cried half of the time. It also meant that Eileen had to get up every five minutes to try and calm her down by slowly rocking her as she walked around the room.

It took a lot of time until finally everyone was sitting and eating their main course. The commotion had deflected Castiel long enough, but now he was nervous again. It was important to him that all his guests liked his meal.

Robert was the first to lift his spoon to his mouth and even before he had tasted anything, he brushed his plate aside and claimed: “I don’t like this. I want carrots.”

Sam groaned and Eileen hissed something towards her son.

“I’m sorry, he’s just in a phase where he doesn’t like anything other than carrots,” Sam explained, sounding a little desperate.

“Oh, that is quite all right.” Castiel turned to Robert. “You see the vegetables under the venison? That’s mostly carrots.”

Robert perked up and started eating all the orange stuff on his plate, which was – mostly – sweet potatoes. Sam and Castiel shared a grin, but both turned their heads towards Dean as the alpha let out a loud moan.

“Manners, Dean. We’re in company,” Sam said teasingly.

“I’m sorry, but this is just so good. Cas, you’re a great cook. You need to tell me what spices you use. And the meat is so soft – when I cook, it always turns dry.”

Castiel smiled at his own plate, too shy to look at Dean after this grand compliment. “Thank you, Dean. I am glad you like it.”

“Yeah, he sure likes our brother’s meat,” Gabriel whispered to Michael loud enough for Castiel to hear. He quickly glanced at Dean, who fortunately seemed too engrossed in his meal to have heard him.

Castiel kicked Gabriel in the shins. Unfortunately, it was Michael who yelped.

“Castiel, why is your face turning all red?” Robert asked – and Castiel suddenly felt everyone’s eyes on him.

“Yes, Cassie why _is_ your face all red?” Gabriel repeated with an all-too-innocent expression, and Castiel sent him a death glare.

“Uh…,” Castiel stuttered.

“I guess it’s because the food is so hot,” Sam explained to his son. “And Castiel had been getting up a lot so maybe he feels a little exhausted. Like when your face heats up after running around with Petra.”

Robert turned to Castiel, who just nodded. Sam Winchester was a great friend.

When they were all finished, and Castiel rose to clean the table, Dean took a plate from him.

“Oh no, you should stay seated, Castiel. You cooked already, no need to clean up too.”

And so Castiel sat back down and watched Dean, Sam and Gabriel clear the table. He only joined them in the kitchen when they were almost finished to get the dessert.

“This smells absolutely amazing, Cas.”

And sure enough, as soon as he had the first bite of apple pie in his mouth, Dean released another obscene sound. This time, Petra and Robert imitated the moan – they obviously liked the sweet dessert better than their main course.

The Winchesters did not stay very long afterwards since Alba started crying again. Dean offered to help clean up – which Castiel found to same accounts odd, considerate and unnecessary. He refused to let Dean help, reminding him that he was a guest in his house.

“So… thanks again for dinner, Cas.” Dean murmured as the rest of his family had already stepped outside.

“Thank you for hunting the doe, Dean.” Castiel played with the hem of his tunic.

“Maybe … ah … maybe I could return the favour one day. You know, cook for you sometime.”

“You cook?” Castiel asked. Sure, Dean had said something like that during sinner, but Castiel had assumed it was just to make conversation.

“Yeah, sure. I mean, not as well as you. But I can manage a steak and some mashed potatoes. And I make awesome pancakes for breakfast.”

“I’d be delighted to try them sometime, Dean.” He looked the alpha in the eyes and felt that nervous flutter again. “And I am sure Michael and Gabriel would too.”

“Oh… yeah, great,” Dean replied, suddenly lacking enthusiasm and Castiel cursed himself. The alpha had probably only suggested it to be polite – and had not planned to _actually_ make him dinner. Or breakfast. “G’night then, Cas.”

“Good night, Dean.”

“Now, that went well, I think,” Michael said after he had closed the door behind their guests. Castiel was still in the kitchen and overheard his brothers but could not see them.

“I’m not sure. Maybe Castiel could have been a little more --- _friendly_.”

More friendly? Castiel was confused. He thought he had been perfectly polite.

“I don’t agree. I think he behaved perfectly polite.” Castiel almost chuckled at Michael’s words, relieved that at least one brother did not think he had done anything wrong.

Gabriel sighed. “You know, when you put it like that – I’m even more worried.”

“I am sure you would have preferred it if our brother sat on the alpha’s lap.”

“Well, you can’t deny – it _would_ have made the night more entertaining.”

Even from the kitchen, Castiel could basically feel Gabriel’s eyebrows dancing. He was not sure if his brother’s words were just an unspecific quip or if he had picked up on Castiel’s feelings – whichever was true, he clearly had to be more careful. He did not want to end up as the laughingstock of the whole pack. A widowed omega with no connections, crushing after their alpha leader.

So the next few days, Castiel tried not to stare as much at Dean as he had done before his heat. He did not succeed, but at least every time Dean turned around or glanced up at him, Castiel quickly looked away. Or tried to appear busy with something else.

Once, Lisa frowned at him.

“What are you doing, Castiel?”

“What do you mean?”

“Dean just was about to walk over to us – until you practically turned his back on him.” Oh yeah, great, of course _she_ wanted Dean to come over. Not that Castiel did not want that too. Lisa nipped at his shoulder. “What happened?”

“What? Nothing. Nothing happened.”

“H-hm. So there is nothing going on between you two?”

“Of course not! Everything is fine. Perfectly normal.”

Castiel quickly found somewhere else to be. He would have to try and avoid any conversations about _him and Dean_ in the future.

>>><<<

_The Present_

The bumble bee was long gone when Castiel still stared at the bell flower, completely absorbed in his memories. Could it be – had he really been such a fool?

“Cas---”

“Hush, I believe he has an epiphany.”

“About time.”

Castiel finally looked up at Michael, Gabriel and Charlie.

“Dean was not concerned because I have not eaten during my heat. He hunted the deer for me. As a … courting gift.”

“Such a smart cookie,” Charlie said dryly.

“Seriously, Castiel, I don’t think Dean has the time to hunt for every omega out of heat.”

“And I guess he doesn’t prowl beneath their windows either,” Gabriel added to Michael’s remark.

Castiel felt a grin spread over his whole face. “And we all had a family dinner together to make the courtship official.”

“I’m not sure it counts when the one who is supposed to be courted is too stupid to notice.”

Castiel brushed his tail against Gabriel in reprimand – although his brother had a point. He _had_ been stupid. All the times Dean had sought him out… asking after his wellbeing --- Castiel had been sure the alpha was just concerned that his newest pack members had settled in nicely, but now that he thought of it, Dean had not paid half as much attention to either Michael or Gabriel. And the way he often brushed closely past Castiel, especially when they were coming back from a successful hunt, still excited and grinning. Castiel remembered in shock how he had often tried to get out of the way, not realising that Dean had touched him intentionally. Castiel groaned. It had happened just yesterday. Dean had walked up to him close enough for their furs to gently rub over each other – and Castiel had stepped to the side to give the alpha more space. And only now, after he had talked to his friends and family, Castiel finally understood the look on Dean’s face. The alpha felt rejected.

Castiel stood abruptly.

“Whoa, what’s up, Cassie?”

“I need to talk to Dean.”

“What, right now?”

“Yes, right now,” Charlie answered. But Castiel almost did not hear her as he was already walking away from the group.

Castiel let his gaze wander over the camp until he finally found Dean – and this time, the alpha _was_ talking to Lisa, his back towards Castiel. The woman saw Castiel approach but made no gesture toward Dean. She smiled softly. Castiel remembered how Lisa had suddenly been gushing about Dean those last few weeks. Had she been trying to give him a nudge the whole time? If that was true, Castiel really should apologise to her for his mood swings. Later. Now he had something more important to take care of.

“… can’t seem to make anything right. I thought dinner had been fine. I mean, yeah, the kids were chaotic, but…”

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel said once he was behind the alpha.

Castiel knew he should not enjoy the way Dean twitched – but it _was_ fun to sneak up on their mighty leader.

“Castiel … oh…” Dean ducked his head and Castiel had the odd wish to see the alpha’s human face right now. For some reason he imagined his ears turn pink. “What can I do for you?”

Castiel hesitated. Suddenly, he had a very loud thought ringing through his mind: What if his brothers were wrong? He looked towards Lisa as if asking her for support, but all the other omega said was: “I really need to --- ah--- get Ben.”

And then she turned around and was gone, leaving Dean and Castiel alone. And Dean only kept looking at Castiel.

“I … ah… I thought about your offer, Dean. About another dinner. And, I mean, you don’t have to, of course, but…”

“I would love to, Cas,” Dean said, his ears perking up, tail swishing.

Castiel smiled. “And maybe, you know, this time, we could leave our families at home.” He had not managed to say the sentence while looking Dean in the eye, but at least he had managed saying it.

“I’d love that too.”

Finally, Castiel looked back up and into glinting green eyes. Dean deliberately brushed against Castiel’s side, and this time, the omega did not shy away. In fact, he leaned a little against the alpha.

“But I admit I am surprised. I thought you were not interested. You behaved odd since our family dinner. Distant.”

Castiel sat down with a sigh. Dean placed himself next to him, their bodies almost touching.

“I apologise, Dean. I fear I have been daft. Or stupid. Depending on which brother you want to quote.”

Dean bristled. “You’re one of the smartest shifters I know, Cas, so you should just punch them in the face when they say something like that to you.”

Castiel chuckled. “I don’t know, Dean. I’m sure that would feel great, but I believe we smart people are supposed to use our words instead of our fists.”

Dean huffed out a laugh and nudged Castiel’s shoulder. “You’re funny too.”

Castiel felt that flutter in his stomach again. “Good to know I have something to fall back on, because I fear my brothers are right and I have not been very smart for the past months. At least when it concerns you. Or us.”

Dean let out a low growl. “Did they send you here, Cas? Because – you don’t have to accept my courtship because _they_ want you to. Nothing will change. You’re still a member of this pack, even if you don’t want to have anything to do with me. I thought Mike and I had cleared that up ages ago, but…”

“Oh no. Actually, Michael has told me specifically that this is my decision to make.” Castiel was still baffled by that statement. He was not sure what Dean had cleared up with him, though. It had to wait for another time. “But it was them who just informed me about your courtship to begin with.”

“What do you mean – _informed_ you?”

“Until about an hour ago, I had not realised you were interested in me.”

“What? Cas, I brought you a doe, to your doorstep.”

“I know. I thought you were just concerned because of my heat.”

“Cas. There are many omegas here. And you have joined us about half a year ago. Tell me: how often have you seen me carrying a deer across camp, leaving it as some omega’s door?”

Castiel smiled up at Dean. “Like I indicated before, it was certainly not my brightest moment. Again, I apologise.”

“You know, I really need to step up my game if the guy I am courting does not even notice. But this explains a lot. I mean, at first I thought you were simply undecided, but then yesterday --- that was a pretty obvious rejection.” Dean frowned. “Are you sure you want us to court, Cas? I mean, you did shy away anytime I wanted to touch you… even if you did not know about my intentions, you clearly did not want me around.”

“Dean, I very much want you. I have wanted you for a long time now.”

“Then why were you often so distant?”

“Because I did not want you, or anybody else, to notice that I want you.”

“That makes no sense.” Dean looked confused and then added: “You like me – but you did not want me to know that you like me? That’s --- it really does make no sense.”

“Maybe not for you. You’re a pack alpha, young, handsome and kind – everyone would be pleased by your attention.”

“And you’re gorgeous, smart, with a quirky sense of humour. Any alpha would be glad to have you.”

Castiel blinked a few times at Dean. He didn’t see it; the alpha really did not think he was --- deficient. It felt absolutely marvellous, but Castiel still felt like he should clarify things.

“Dean, I am not a young omega anymore.”

“Oh, come on, you might not be a teenager anymore, but it’s not like you’re _old_. What are you, 40?”

“39,” Castiel replied, and tried not to feel insulted. Dean had been off by only a few months.

“Which means you’re eight years older than me – that is hardly unusual, is it? For mates to not be the exact same age?”

_Mates_ – Castiel’s breath hitched at the word. Before, they had only talked about courtship. But of course that usually resulted in mating.

“Yes, Dean, but usually the alpha is the older one.”

“So what?”

Castiel really did not know how to reply. He did think it was idiotic to assume that the omega had to be younger – so why would he argue that point.

“I have been mated before, Dean.”

“Yeah, I know. You told me. But you’ve been widowed for many years now --- and I didn’t think you were sill mourning. We could wait though, if this is too soon for you.” Dean seemed confused, though, which could be expected since Castiel’s mating mark had vanished nearly ten years ago. A long time to get over someone you respected but never loved.

Castiel let out a disbelieving laugh. “That is not what I meant, Dean.” He did not explain that some alphas insisted their mates needed to be virgin. He had a feeling that Dean would just act incredulous again. Which was a good thing.

So Castiel finally vocalised his biggest fear: “I might not be able to have children, Dean. I have been mated before. And I was never with pup. You are a pack alpha; you need an heir. And even if that weren’t the case – I have seen you with the other children. You deserve to be a dad.”

“So do you.”

Castiel felt tears swell in his eyes. Dean was on him the next second, rubbing his head over Castiel’s, pulling the omega toward his chest. The alpha let out a reassuring rumble and settled closer to Castiel, practically cuddling him from top to bottom.

“I admit that I would like children, Cas. But not so I have heirs. I mean, there’s Sammy and his litter – and who knows, maybe my children would have no interest in leading a pack anyway. They would be stupid if they did, to be honest. And if I were really that concerned about heirs, don’t you think I would have mated a long time ago? But I only wanted to mate someone I really felt like spending my life with. Not the potential pups, but with my _mate_.” Dean licked his lips. “And, Cas, no matter who I am going to settle down with, there is no guarantee for pups. He or she might be infertile – or I might be. Who knows? Just as much as there is no guarantee that you are either. And this is not a dealbreaker. No matter who I would be mated to, do you really believe that I would --- what? Walk away if there was no pup after eighteen months?

“It took a long while until I finally met someone I could see myself living with. I want you, Cas. A future with you. Whatever happens.” Castiel could not help it, he started crying, his face still pressed against the alpha’s chest while Dean kept rubbing his scent all over him soothingly. “And honestly, you have been on that dinner last week. _Not_ having children clearly has some perks too. I mean, Alba hardly ever stops crying these days – and with Robert asking all those questions all day long, I wonder how Sammy and Eileen ever found the time to even _make_ her.”

Castiel huffed out a laugh through his tears.

After a while of sitting there in comfortable silence, Castiel said: “Thank you, Dean.”

“Oh no, thank _you_ for accepting my dinner invitation. How about tomorrow?”

“So soon?”

“Soon? I’ve been stalking around you for months!” Dean brushed his head over Castiel’s once more and then licked over his right ear. “But we should get going now. It’s already dark and I don’t want your brothers coming after me.”

“I am 40 years old ----” “- 39! --” “----they can live with me coming home after dark. Besides, I really don’t want to see them right now. They will keep making fun of me. Even Michael.”

“Then maybe you could ask him when he is going to finally make an official move on Lisa. That should shut him up.”

“What?”

“Oh, come on, surely you noticed. Five months later, and he still seeks her out every afternoon. It’s not like she can show him any new exercises for his leg. Or that he could not do them on his own.”

“What?” Castiel repeated.

“And last week, I’ve seen her giggle. About something he said. And he looked rightly smug about it.”

“Giggle? About something _Michael_ said? Are you sure, Dean?” Castiel cocked his head to the side and looked at Dean like he might be insane.

“Swear to the great Valg. Lisa told me Michael is a funny guy.”

Castiel giggled.

>>><<<

_Three Years Later_

As always, dinner was --- chaotic.

Even though Castiel now lived with Dean in one of the biggest cabins in the whole camp – perks of being the pack alpha – their house always seemed too small for a proper family dinner. Castiel thought this was part of the charm of those nights.

After many discussions and rearrangements, Castiel found himself squeezed in on a bench between Robert, who was currently yelling at Petra for stealing one of his sweet potatoes from across the table, and Bobby, who watched his namesake with a mixture of fondness and impatience. Castiel himself had a fifteen-month-old girl on his lap. Gabriel, who walked up and down the room, currently rocked her sobbing twin brother, Jack. Castiel would feel guilty if he had not known that Gabriel had deliberately picked _the easy pup_. Jack was almost always in a good mood; he laughed easily and would often be content to just sit on someone’s lap and watch the adults around him. Claire was a lot more demanding. If she did not get a change of scenery every fifteen minutes or so, she would get bored. And when Claire got bored, she tried to entertain herself. Currently, she was reaching for every glass, plate or cutlery in her vicinity. Preferably a knife or something equally dangerous. Which meant that Castiel hardly managed to eat anything at all. He would just have to wait for someone to finish their food first and take the little she-devil off his hands – one benefit of having a big family was that you could always rely on someone for help.

Ben laughed at Castiel’s attempts to clear anything out of his daughter’s way, while Eileen and Sam shared a look. The couple was probably glad that they had survived the grabbing-phase of all their kids. Not to mention that all three pups could now sit on their own chairs and eat their own meals – even though Alba managed to get gravy all over her face, hands _and_ dress.

Michael looked at the girl with terror –and tried to feed his own son a spoonful of mashed potatoes, without making a mess. Of course, that was forlorn hope – and then nine-month-old Charles spit a little bit of yellow mush on Michael’s shoulder. Castiel chuckled as he watched how his alpha brother still tried to look dignified as he whipped it off. Lisa just laughed at her mate – she did seem to find him endlessly funny.

But Castiel stopped his observation of family members as Claire had finally managed to grab a wineglass, and it was only Charlie’s quick reflexes that stopped it from spreading red liquid all over the table.

“Come here, sweetheart, give her to me.”

Dean, who had suddenly materialised behind Castiel, took Claire from the omega’s arms. He leaned down and planted a quick kiss on Castiel’s lips. Instead of starting to eat, finally, Castiel looked up at his mate, smiling widely at the considerate man that was all his.

“Oh, come on, not with the heart-eyes again,” Gabriel, who now had a sleeping Jack on his lap, scrunched up his nose. “Seriously, three years later, and you still smooch like teenagers.”

Petra and Robert made agreeing _ew_ -sounds while most of the adults chuckled.

Castiel paid them no mind but simply brushed his lips against Dean’s again, hardly an inappropriate make-out-session. After another glance at his mate, Castiel finally picked up his fork and enjoyed his meal.

With all the demanding pups, meddling brothers, teasing friends and one adoring mate,

life was about as perfect as it could possibly be.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this fluff-fest, please let me know! ;- )
> 
> As always: English is not my first language, so forgive me my mistakes.
> 
> Stay safe!


End file.
